


Summer Love

by takeitoffhemmo



Series: MN Ballet AU [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Chris is brief mention, Don’t copy to another site, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining, Summer, not really a slow burn but slow for me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-09-30 16:02:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20449757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo/pseuds/takeitoffhemmo
Summary: Yuuri is in the prime of his dancing career, but he still hasn't found a dance company that suits him well. When Phichit contacts him about his company in Minnesota opening auditions, Yuuri decides to take a leap. After arriving in Minnesota, Yuuri falls in love with his new company, and the following summer he finds himself face-to-face with his idol Victor Nikiforov. So. Many. Times. Who invited Victor? Yuuri's not sure his heart can take it.





	1. Yuuri is Moving to Minnesota

**Author's Note:**

> hi y'all!!! the title is totally a working title, i'll think of something better (i hope). the rating might go up. i've been getting horny vibes from victor and yuuri smh. 
> 
> in all seriousness though, this fic is entirely self-indulgent. I really just wanted to write a ballet au and write it in my hometown. victor and yuuri are so dumb in this. i'm sorry. 
> 
> thank you to [Baph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baph) for helping with organization/flow, and Phoenix Song from the 18!!! on Ice discord server for helping with ballet terms! 
> 
> I'm going to try and update this weekly on Thursdays.

Yuuri drops his bag by the door of his small apartment and kicks his shoes off. Slowly, he walks into the kitchen and sets his water bottle by the sink. He sighs while pulling the fridge open and taking out the container of chicken and stir fry vegetables he made earlier this week. He’s always too exhausted after rehearsal to cook for himself, so he cooks on his days off. After placing his food in the microwave, he turns to his bedroom and then changes into pajamas. 

“Netflix and chill,” he mutters to himself as he settles on his couch with his dinner. His laptop is open on the table in front of him and while he waits for it to turn on he scrolls through his phone notifications. 

Victor posted another picture of Makkachin. Yuuri resists the urge to like the photo but likes his friend Phichit’s photo of his hamsters. Just then his phone vibrates as a new text comes in. 

> **Phichit**  
Yuuri! Yuuri!! my company’s holding auditions soon!!
> 
> **Yuuri**  
why are you telling me this??
> 
> **Phichit**  
cuz u hate abt and love me  
pls come here  
applyyyyy [link] 
> 
> ****
> 
> **Yuuri**  
i’ll think about it  

> 
> **Phichit**  
just do it !!  
it’ll be fun!  


Yuuri opens the audition application link and reads through the information the company is looking for. It’s pretty standard and Yuuri has everything on his computer right now. He could apply… 

Yuuri doesn’t apply that night, but after an especially grueling rehearsal the next day, and another bill he can’t pay appears, he decides to send in his headshot and video portfolio. He can’t stay here any longer. It’s not financially or emotionally good for him anymore. 

A few weeks later, he receives an invitation to audition in person. He books a flight and makes plans to stay with Phichit. His company is understanding since his contract is ending soon anyway and they’re not on tour currently. 

His audition goes well, so all that’s left for Yuuri is to finish his contracts with ABT and his apartment. Glancing around his barely filled apartment, he doesn’t feel sad. His heart races with excitement. Something new will be good. 

***

When he steps out of MSP he’s immediately assaulted with frigid air and more snow than he’s seen in awhile. He pulls his coat closer to himself as he looks for his friend. Phichit promised he’d pick up Yuuri, but he doesn’t see his friend in the long line of cars waiting by the curb. He’s about to text Phichit when a car honks. He looks in the direction he heard the horn and Phichit is hanging out the driver’s window. 

“Yuuri!!” he calls, waving his arm wildly. 

Yuuri waves back and then drags his suitcase behind him as he walks to the car. Phichit is out of the car and opening the trunk by the time Yuuri arrives at the car. He lifts his suitcase into the trunk and then discards his dance bag on top; he wasn’t going to end up stranded without his dance gear. Nevermind pajamas or a change of clothes. Luckily, his suitcase survived and hopefully his other belongings that he shipped over will be fine too. 

“How was the flight?” Phichit asks once they’re inside the warm car. 

Yuuri turns the heating vents towards him and places his hands in front of them. “Fine. It’s not very long. Like three hours? Four? I didn’t get stuck next to any crying babies so it wasn’t bad.” 

“That’s good! Are you excited to be here?” he asks next. 

Humming, Yuuri looks out the window at the gray sky and various cars driving around them. They haven’t actually left the airport yet so there’s still a lot of buildings around them blocking Yuuri’s view of the city. 

“I think so,” he finally answers. “It’ll be something new.” 

Minneapolis is vastly smaller than NYC. 

Yuuri noticed it from the plane, but up close it feels different. Downtown feels busy and it _feels_ somewhat large, but Yuuri also feels like he could walk the whole length of it and aimlessly wander if he ever got lost and not worry about actually _being_ lost. He loves the skyways. It’s amazing to him that someone could walk throughout a whole city without ever touching the ground. His company’s theater isn’t directly connected to any of the skyways, but he can access it from a building across the street. Sometimes he likes finding a spot and sitting to observe the traffic below. He especially likes this option during the colder months when he doesn’t want to spend any more time outside than necessary. 

Once things warmed up, he watched as the city became more alive. He noticed more people walking or biking and more cars crowding the streets. His train rides became even more full of people and he found himself spending more time outside as well. He likes talking walks down to the river when he can or walking throughout Loring Park and the Sculpture Garden. Phichit’s apartment is really close to the park which is what started Yuuri’s love for it. Even though he loved living with his friend, he decided to move to a different building outside downtown. Phichit’s much more social than Yuuri and it was starting to wear on him. Besides, he never planned to stay with Phichit forever anyway. It was always temporary. 

He managed to find a really nice studio apartment outside of downtown and close to the light-rail. As a plus, there’s a gym with a dance studio. Yuuri wasn’t specifically looking for a place with one, but when he found one he couldn’t resist. His apartment is on the third floor and overlooks a neighborhood. From his balcony, he can see downtown. In the morning, when the sun shines just right, US Bank Stadium is absolutely blinding. Yuuri was completely caught off guard the first time he noticed. It was like the sun was _inside_ downtown. It was both jarring and spectacular. He avoids looking at downtown in the mornings now. 

At work, he seems to be fitting in with the other dancers. At first it was a little hard to adjust to the new environment and culture. He’s expected to be creative and to constantly reform his dancing. He’s encouraged to incorporate different styles and create his own programs. There’s even an annual showcase for emerging choreographers to display their projects that push the boundaries of dance. Yuuri hopes to join at some point. Ever since he joined this company he’s been itching to prove that he can create something new too. For now though, he loves participating in the youth programs his company sponsors. The dancers are encouraged to do community work and Yuuri loves it. Currently, he’s excited to help run a program this summer for beginner ballet dancers. He’ll be an instructor and he’ll work with the students to refine their skills and then complete a showcase at the end of the summer. He can’t wait.


	2. Victor is Sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are becoming stagnant for Victor, so he's looking for a change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! thank you to anyone who read the last chapter <3 this one will be a little short too, but I promise they get longer. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Victor finishes the run through he’s been working on and then stops the music. He picks up his water bottle off the dance floor and drinks. His eyes flit to the large mirrors filling the wall and sighs. Something’s missing… but what? 

“Vitya, this isn’t like you,” a voice speaks from behind him. He looks into the mirrors to see Yakov standing in the doorway. 

“I’m getting old,” Victor replies, turning to face his instructor. 

Yakov scoffs while walking over to the sound system. “Again,” he says, pressing play. 

Violins flood the open space and Victor feels his body register the notes. He begins moving without even comprehending it. Right arm extending forward, the rest of his body follows. He glides across the floor into a pas de chat, and then a series of chaînés back. Slowly, his mind drifts while his body continues spinning and leaping in time with the music. 

When the music ends, his chest heaves and he feels almost empty. None of that brought him the same joy that it used to. Was the character coming across at all? How many times has he danced this role? 

“Is something wrong?” Yakov asks. 

Victor shakes his head. Nothing’s technically wrong, except it is. He doesn’t feel connected to himself anymore. It’s like he’s floating and only observing from the outside. 

“I’m fine. Just tired. I’ll be better for the performance. You know me,” Victor says. 

“Hmm,” Yakov hums. “I’ll make sure Georgi’s ready if you need to step aside. He’s been working very hard this season.” 

Victor knows Georgi’s been working hard. They’ve even trained together a lot outside of class. Victor might even let him have it. He’s not sure where he went wrong. Perhaps he really is just getting old. Everything’s become so routine. Mundane. Maybe he needs a change of pace. 

“Sure,” Victor replies. He doesn’t mind if Georgi takes his spot. Victor’s done it enough times anyway. 

When he arrives home, Makkachin greets him at the door, her whole body shaking with excitement. She runs around his legs and wags her tail enthusiastically, barking occasionally. Victor bends to pet her and lets her lick his face once before standing up to walk farther into the apartment. She trails behind him, her nails clacking against the hardwood floor. He refills her water and food bowls and then wanders off to his room to change. He puts on some black joggers and a cream-colored sweater. 

When he re-enters the kitchen, he looks at Makkachin and asks, “Walk? Do you wanna go for a walk?” 

Immediately her tail begins wagging again and Victor smiles. He grabs her leash and hooks it to her collar. They walk out of the apartment together and down to the streets below. It being early spring the sun is already beginning to set and the sky is painted various shades of pink, purple, and orange. Victor’s breath appears in small clouds of mist in front of him as they walk. Makka has to stop and smell everything even though Victor’s positive she smelled it this morning when he walked her and probably again when the walker took her out a few hours ago. He briefly wonders how Makkachin views the world. How are the smells different? What does she learn from them? Does she even care? His mind eventually wanders back to dancing as they walk throughout a nearby park. He’s not completely dissatisfied with his profession, but he knows he doesn’t feel the same joy and fulfillment that he did before. He still loves to dance and he doesn’t feel like he wants to stop just...he feels stagnant. Disconnected. His eyes drift towards a couple holding hands on the path in front of them. He sighs. Maybe he’s just lonely. He knows he’s hard to date with his intense practice schedule and dedication. If he could just find someone who understood...ah, but he shouldn’t worry so much. His time will come when it does.

That night he dreams a series of chaîné turns and grand jetes that he’s never danced before. A melody drifts in and out of the dream, following the dancer’s movements. Up into an arabesque and then back down. The dancer moves fluidly and in time with the faint music. It’s all Victor can think about after he wakes up. Parts of the dance slip from his memory the longer he’s awake though and by the time he has a chance to try and piece together the movements he’s lost most of it. He tries regardless, but gives up rather quickly. While practicing for his upcoming performance he feels a new excitement though. Maybe he can make it through this season after all. 

The dream keeps coming to him every night after that. Every day he tries piecing it together and slowly he begins to add more movements. By the time he has to perform again, he’s almost completely recreated the choreography from his dreams. When he’s on stage for the final scene, he realizes it. He wants to choreograph. 

***

“Madame Baranovskya, I want to choreograph. I won’t be renewing my contract,” Victor informs his instructor later that week. 

“Are you sure, Vitya? You’ve always been impulsive. Is this what you really want?” Lilia asks. 

“Yes. I’m ready for a change and I’ve already worked on a program. This is what I want,” he says. 

“Very well,” she agrees and then Victor’s time as a principal dancer for the Mariinsky is over. 

A year later, Victor receives a call from Chris. By now he’s created a few programs and participated in showcases for emerging choreographers where he’s displayed them. A few larger companies have shown interest in his work so he’s helped at a few smaller shows as well. He thought Chris was calling just to catch up, but apparently it was regarding his choreography. 

“There’s a program I think you’ll be interested in. The company’s not super big, but well-respected. Minnesota might not be your first choice for an adventure, but I promise it’ll be worth it. I know a few of the dancers there and that’s how I found out about a summer program they work with. I asked around and also found out they need a choreographer. Maybe you should check it out,” he says. 

Victor assures Chris he’ll consider it and do some of his own research. After that, they do catch up Chris talks about how petty some of the other dancers can be and which ones he respects for their hard work. He thinks he might be able to make Senior Soloist by next season even if his body aches all the time. They talk about how they’ve noticed the aches becoming more persistent with their aging bodies. It doesn’t stop them from dancing, of course, but they do wonder how much longer they can last. Finally, they talk about trying to meet up again soon and then their conversation concludes. Victor stares at his bedroom ceiling long after the call ended and feels his restless energy come back. He’ll look into the summer program.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


	3. Oh shit, why is Victor here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor appears! What will Yuuri do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! Things start to get interesting from now on...

Yuuri is excited on the first day of orientation. All of the instructors have to attend some workshops to help prepare them for when the students come. Yuuri’s done a lot of teaching before, so he’s not as worried about that, but learning more about their schedule will be nice. He can’t wait to meet the other teachers as well. 

He’s early. Really early. He meant to only be five or ten minutes early, but somehow it became twenty. He decides to stretch in the studio where they’re meeting while he waits. Might as well be productive, right? 

When he lifts his torso after having it stretched across his legs, he sees someone else standing in the entrance. Someone familiar. Someone who’s staring back at him through the mirror, and someone who Yuuri has admired for awhile. 

“Victor?” he asks, his eyes wide. Oh god, why is Victor here? 

“Hello! Yes, that’s me. And you are?” he replies while walking into the studio towards Yuuri. 

“Yuuri Katsuki,” he says. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. May I sit here?” he asks gesturing to the space by Yuuri. 

Yuuri nods and then watches as Victor settles beside him. “You can continue. Don’t mind me,” Victor says after he’s settled. 

Yuuri doesn’t quite feel like stretching anymore, or doing anything since he can’t remember _how_ to do anything. His mind has gone blank. Victor is here. Victor is here and he’s sitting by Yuuri. What the fuck is happening? Yuuri must be dreaming. That’s the only explanation. He subtly pinches his wrist to discover that, no, he’s not dreaming. This is real. Victor is real and here. 

They sit in silence after that despite Victor’s efforts otherwise. Yuuri’s too shocked for small talk. He tries to stretch again, or look busy, anything to keep Victor from trying to talk with him. Why didn’t anyone say anything about this? Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe Victor isn’t supposed to be here. Where is everyone? Yuuri glances at the clock. There’s still ten minutes. He can do this. Everyone will be here soon. 

He’s saved very soon by the head instructor walking in and soon a few other dancers, some Yuuri knows from the company, and some he doesn’t. They start not long after that with introductions and going through the agenda. It’s fairly low key with ice breakers and a few lectures planned. The head instructor pairs everyone up for one of the activities and Yuuri thanks every deity he can think of that he wasn’t paired with Victor. He tries to ignore Victor looking at him every so often. He also very pointedly tries _not_ to look at Victor. 

The day ends after a few hours and everyone’s in good spirits. Everyone says goodbye and Yuuri does his best to leave as quickly as possible without seeming rude. He hurries his farewells and walks to the train. It’s hot out as he waits for the next train to arrive. He fans himself with one of the packets they were handed and wonders how he’ll be able to minimally interact with Victor this summer. He’d love to get some advice from Victor, but he’s too intimidated. Victor seemed nice, but Yuuri isn’t sure if he’s as nice when it comes to actual ballet. He’s read a lot of articles and heard a lot of things from other dancers. Victor can be very critical. They all can. Yuuri just isn’t sure he’s ready to hear someone he’s admired for years criticize his dance. 

Finally the train arrives and he gets on. There’s not too many people today so he takes a seat. The train system isn’t as comprehensive as it is in Tokyo, but it still gets him places. During the ride he listens to music and continues working out his plan to evade Victor all summer. They won’t be teaching any joint classes so that helps. From what he knows so far, Victor will be teaching at a studio on the opposite side of the building from Yuuri which also helps. At lunch, he can hide in the skyway. He’s gotten really good at the ones near them, so it’ll be easy to lose Victor there. Before and after class he’ll just have to cut things as close as possible. He can do it. 

He can’t do it. It’s surprisingly hard to evade Victor who seems to be everywhere Yuuri is. He’s not quite sure how exactly, but every time he walks down a hallway Victor seems to be in it too. He doesn’t talk to Victor past greeting him though, so he considers that a win even if he’s still seeing Victor almost every day. In retrospect, he should’ve known he’d still see Victor in passing this much. After all they do work together now. Mainly, he thinks he’s doing well since he’s kept their communication to a minimum. Victor hasn’t seen him dance either which is another plus. 

About a week after the summer program has started, Yuuri finds himself at Loring Park with Phichit after one of their training sessions. They’re laid out on a brightly colored blanket underneath a grove of trees with Yuuri’s head resting on Phichit’s stomach. 

“He’s just so intimidating. I’ve built him up so much that I can’t even say more than ‘hi’ to him,” Yuuri says. He watches the leaves blow in the wind and feels Phichit’s stomach move as he breathes. 

“Well you know how I feel. I think you’re being ridiculous by actively avoiding him. Isn’t it getting exhausting?” Phichit asks. 

Yuuri turns his face towards Phichit. “Not entirely. It’s become routine now. I barely realize why I started the habits in the first place now. Except when I see him. I get so nervous and then I panic. I just bolt the other way. Every time,” he says. 

Phichit begins running a hand absentmindedly through Yuuri’s hair. “Hmm, I guess that’s to be expected. Still, I think you should be over that by now.” 

“I don’t think I ever will. This is the best way,” Yuuri says. 

“Maybe,” Phichit says, his hand still in Yuuri’s hair. Yuuri could fall asleep like this. 

“Thanks for being my friend,” he says after a few minutes of silence. 

Phichit’s hand pauses and then resumes. “Of course.”

***

Yuuri continues to ignore Victor and ignoring the wounded looks Victor keeps giving him every time he makes an excuse to leave after saying hi. He can’t help it. His only response is to run. He doesn’t know how to get over his mounting anxiety and panic at the sight of Victor. He thought he’d get used to Victor being around, but he never really does. 

He’s glad that Victor hasn’t seen him dance yet though. He thinks this again as he sets down his bag in an empty studio to work on his choreography piece. He’s managed to find at least one empty studio a night to work on it and he’s made some progress. He’s starting to get stuck though. What is he trying to convey? At first he thought he’d focus on his dancing journey, but then he felt it was too boring. Now he isn’t sure where to go. 

After warm ups, he plays his favorite Swan Lake piece and dances it. He feels himself get lost in the music and the moves. His body moves without him thinking too hard about it and he feels free. The only time feel he actually feels in control is when he dances. It’s a time when he can let himself go while still sticking to some sort of structure. He loves it. 

When he finishes the Swan Lake piece, he glances into the mirror, his chest heaving and hair matted against his forehead, to see Victor Nikiforov standing in the doorway. Oh god, not again. Is Victor a ghost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who’s read so far!! <3 
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


	4. Why Is Yuuri Ignoring Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor finally confronts Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are finally picking up yaya

Victor isn’t entirely positive, but he’s fairly sure that Yuuri is avoiding him. He gets on well with all of the other instructors and has spent quite some time getting to know them, but Yuuri’s evasive. If they ever happen to be in the same place, somehow Yuuri figures out a way to _not_ be in that place after a short while. The most interaction Victor’s had with Yuuri was before their orientation when they were both early. Since then it’s been absolutely impossible to speak with the Japanese man. It’s beginning to bother Victor. Did he do something wrong? Maybe Yuuri’s just that busy. Victor doesn’t really believe that though. He has a vague idea of Yuuri’s schedule and he knows there’s definitely time when neither of them are busy and could spend time together. Instead, Yuuri uses that time to actively avoid Victor. Victor honestly doesn’t know what he did and he can’t even keep Yuuri in the same room with him for long enough to ask about it. 

The more Yuuri avoids Victor, the more curious he becomes. If Yuuri plans to actively avoid Victor then Victor plans to actively seek out Yuuri. He gets Yuuri’s schedule from another instructor and then figures out when he can nonchalantly pass by Yuuri’s classes undetected and when he can intersect his paths with Yuuri’s. 

It turns out that he can pass Yuuri’s classroom at least once a day, but only rarely does he actually get to see Yuuri dancing when he drifts by. Usually, Yuuri’s helping a student or a student is demonstrating for the class when Victor walks by. He’s mostly okay with that. He gets to see Yuuri’s caring side. Also, his beautiful profile or his smile. Sometimes he catches a laugh. Victor realizes he’s slowly becoming a Yuuri expert, even if he doesn’t always observe for long. Even if he usually only passes Yuuri in hallways with a brief greeting. How does Yuuri move so fast? He’s there and gone before Victor realizes what’s happening. Even if their encounters are short, after a week or so, Victor notices that he can tell Yuuri’s mood based on his body language. Somehow along the way he picked up little cues from Yuuri. If he smiles with a slight blush when he says hi, he’s having a good day, but if Yuuri minimally acknowledges Victor, his back somehow straighter, he’s having a bad day. He’s not sure if maybe those are obvious to everyone or if it’s something only Victor has discovered. He doesn’t care either way, he’s mostly just happy that he’s a little closer to Yuuri than before. Kinda. 

A few weeks into the summer camp, he stays late to work on a piece he started before joining the program. When he’s done, he hears music from another studio and pauses at the doorway. He looks in to see Yuuri dancing to Odette’s Solo. He looks beautiful. He always does, but he looks especially ethereal while dancing this piece. It looks like the music is coming from Yuuri or like Yuuri is conducting the music instead of the other way around. Victor’s utterly captivated. He can’t look away. 

When the song ends, Yuuri’s eyes meet his own through the mirror. “H-how long have you been standing there?” he asks. 

Victor smiles, hopefully encouragingly. “Long enough to know you’re brilliant. Why have you been avoiding me?” he says. 

“I-I haven’t been avoiding you. Not really,” Yuuri quickly says. 

Victor taps a finger against his chin. “We barely say anything more than ‘hello’ before you run off to do something. I think you’ve been avoiding me.” 

Yuuri drops his head. “Maybe a little,” he admits. 

“Why?” Victor asks. _Did_ he do something wrong? This is finally his chance to confront Yuuri. __

_ _“I’ve just been a bit...intimidated. I shouldn’t have avoided you,” Yuuri says. _ _

_ _“I’m glad you’re telling me now,” Victor says, and then adds, “May I join your practice? Since I’m here and you can see that I’m not intimidating.” _ _

_ _He tries a smile that he hopes is comforting and not intimidating, hands clasped behind his back. He really wants Yuuri to say yes. There’s something about him that draws Victor closer. His body seeming to sing when he dances. Victor actually _wants_ to dance again how he used to. _ _

_ _Yuuri nods and then Victor properly enters the studio. He runs through his regular barre warm up and then attempts going through his most recent choreography, but quickly loses focus every time his eyes drift to Yuuri. He seems to be trying to work through a new program himself, but his movements and the music he chose don’t match. He watches Yuuri land after a pirouette and sigh. _ _

_ _He glances over at Victor and asks, “Suggestions?”_ _

_ _Victor’s eyes light up and he pushes off from the wall. “I thought you’d never ask!” _ _

_ _He joins Yuuri in the center of the studio and then goes through one of the variations Yuuri just did. _ _

_ _“I liked the transitions in this one, but it doesn’t fit the song. Were you specifically choreographing for the song, or was the song an afterthought? Can we try without music? Show me.” _ _

_ _“Uh sure,” Yuuri says and turns the music off. He resumes his start position and then goes through the choreo again. When he’s done he looks back at Victor expectantly. “Well?” _ _

_ _“I can hear it,” he says. _ _

_ _“Hear...hear what?” Yuuri asks. _ _

_ _“Your body sings, Yuuri,” he replies. Yuuri gives him a quizzical look as if he suddenly grew a second head. It’s not the first time someone’s given him this look, but he wonders why Yuuri is doing it now. Has no one told Yuuri how lyrical his dancing is?_ _

_ _“O-oh,” comes Yuuri’s delayed reply. Maybe no one compliments him? That’s a shame. Victor would love showering Yuuri with all the praise. _ _

_ _“Let’s continue on the choreo. What’s the story you’re trying to convey?” Victor asks. _ _

_ _Yuuri doesn’t answer right away, instead, looking into the mirror and biting his lip. His eyebrows scrunch and then smooth out again. Finally, he turns back to Victor and replies, “Originally, I wanted to tell my dance journey, but then I realized it’s quite boring. I’m very mediocre. I’ve been thinking of switching to something more abstract or political. It might be easier for me to do a story I made up.” Eyes lowered, he shrugs. Everything in his body screams ‘defeated’ and Victor wonders what could’ve happened to make Yuuri react like this. _ _

_ _Victor feels his posture stiffen slightly. Mediocre? How could that dancing be considered ‘mediocre’? Yuuri could easily be a top dancer with the Mariinsky. “I don’t think you’re mediocre, Yuuri, but if you want to do a made up story, let’s figure that out, shall we?” _ _

_ _After helping Yuuri come up with a story and then going through some base choreography, Victor leaves the studio feeling lighter than he has in years. At home, Makka greets him with a happy ‘boof!’ and excited tail wagging that Victor eagerly returns. _ _

_ _“Makka, I met the most beautiful boy today,” he tells her while making dinner. Her tail thumps once and Victor takes that as agreement. Does Yuuri like dogs? He suddenly wants to know everything. Victor really enjoys spending time with Yuuri and he hopes Yuuri won’t push him away anymore. Perhaps they can be friends, or even more. Victor kind of hopes for more. He never felt this comfortable or enraptured by someone before._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


	5. Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing, vitising a museum, and later dinner and a movie. <s>They are not dates.</s>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!!

After that night, Victor joins Yuuri every night to work on the choreography or just dance together. Slowly, slowly, Victor becomes more tactile with Yuuri. At first, he’d barely touch Yuuri to readjust him on a position, but now his hands will linger just a tad longer than necessary. His touch more sure than before. Yuuri catches himself leaning into the touch occasionally and missing Victor’s warmth once he moves away. 

During the day, they talk between classes and spend lunch together. Sometimes they go down to the river and walk side by side, hands barely brushing, and other days they stay inside, happy to sit across from each other over coffee. Today, they’ve decided to visit the Walker after their classes end. 

The first hall they walk through is mostly political art based around identity. There’s newspapers with headlines about protests and grayscale photos hanging on the walls also depicting protests. In another room, there’s an exhibit about war in Iran, silhouettes of fallen civilians illuminated on a wall. Yuuri feels somber as they walk between the plaques describing the pieces. He reaches for Victor’s hand and squeezes it, Victor returning the gesture. 

Then they end up in an exhibit hall about bodies and media. There’s videos of past vlogs, Instagram posts hung on the walls, and various interactive installments. One of which involves an artist experimenting with sex toys through an audio medium. Yuuri feels his cheeks flame only after a few seconds and quickly removes the headphones. Victor lasts a bit longer before also taking the headphones off and glancing at Yuuri. 

“Uh, shall we move on?” he asks. 

Yuuri vigorously nods and they move on. There’s a surgery video experimenting with vocal chords and they’re quick to pass that as well. As they’re leaving the gallery, there’s a large selection of hand sanitizers retrieved from various locations and in several stages of decay. Yuuri doesn’t take time to learn about that one either. 

Once they emerge into the lobby again, they glance at each other. 

“What...what exactly just happened?” Victor asks with a tilt of his head. 

“I think it’ll take some time to soak in. Let’s walk around the sculpture garden,” Yuuri answers. Honestly, he’s not entirely sure what just happened either. Some of the displays were interesting and many caused a reaction, but he’s not sure if he understood all of them. He’s sure there’s people who view dance in the same way. 

Together, they walk out of the museum and across the street to the garden. Victor wants a picture of him “holding” the cherry on the spoon, so they spend five minutes trying to get just the right angle for his photo. Then they walk past a sculpture that says “love” and Victor wants a photo with it as well. 

“Why don’t you take one together?” a girl asks when Yuuri’s taking the photo of Victor.

“I’m sorry?” Yuuri says. 

“You’re a cute couple. Go ahead. Join him,” she says. 

A couple? They’re not — 

Yuuri’s about to tell her they’re not actually a couple when Victor smiles and gestures for Yuuri to join him. “Come on, Yuuri!” he sings. 

Admitting defeat, Yuuri hands the phone to the girl and joins Victor beside the sculpture. Victor pulls him close and wraps his arms around Yuuri’s waist. It feels safe and right. It reminds him of the studio and a little bit like home. 

“Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three!” she says and then snaps a few photos. “All done!”

She hands the phone back to Yuuri. “Really, y’all are so cute.” 

Yuuri sputters as she walks away. It’s only after she’s gone when he realizes Victor’s still holding him. Victor’s holding him and never denied they were a couple. 

“V-Victor?” he says. 

“Ah, sorry,” Victor says, loosening his grip around Yuuri’s waist. 

Yuuri steps back, but he misses the warmth. “It’s okay,” he says and offers a smile. 

“I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries. I shouldn’t have done that,” Victor says. His voice doesn’t waver, but his eyes seem unsure. Yuuri doesn’t like that look on him. 

He steps closer and reaches for Victor’s hand. “It’s okay. We’re good,” he assures Victor. 

Victor smiles while tangling their fingers together. “Good.” 

Later that night when they’re practicing, Yuuri notices Victor touching him a lot more and he doesn’t mind it. When they’re taking a break for water, Yuuri finally finds the courage to ask Victor if he can call him Vitya. Yuuri researched Russian names after he read an article where Madam Baranovskya referred to Victor as Vitya, so he knows it’s a friendly term. He’s surprised Victor hasn’t brought it up himself. With a heart-shaped smile, Victor nods and Yuuri’s heart flutters. How is this real life?

They’re practicing together again, and Yuuri just feels frustrated with every move his body makes. Nothing feels right and it’s like there’s an insistent itch under skin he can’t reach. 

“Can we stop?” he asks after a third run through. His brain hurts. His feet hurt. He wants a hot bath and katsudon. 

Victor stops and looks at him. “Are you okay?” 

“Not really,” Yuuri admits. 

“Can I help?” Victor asks. 

Yuuri bites his lip. He _does_ enjoy spending time with Victor and he hates to cut their time short. “I don’t know. Maybe. Come have dinner with me?” he asks before he’s thought it through. What is he doing? He just asked Victor to eat dinner with him. Is this a date? Oh god. 

Victor smiles. “I’d love to.” 

They pack up their things and then head to the train station. They’re lucky and don’t have to wait long for the next train and get on without much trouble. Since it’s so late, there’s barely anyone else in their section, so they sit together, bags at their feet. Yuuri tells Victor about living with Phichit when he first moved and how he found his apartment by accident. He passed it on the train to the mall one day and figured he might as well try it. He ended up being extremely lucky. Victor listens intently to everything he says and slowly rubs his thumb over Yuuri’s hand. 

They continue holding hands after they leave the train and all the way up to Yuuri’s apartment. They have to release them so Yuuri can find his key and unlock the door though. Yuuri thinks he catches Victor pout, but chooses not to notice. He opens the door and sets his bag on a nearby table. He slips off his shoes and then walks into the kitchen, Victor following behind him. 

“Tea? Water?” he asks, feeling tension steadily leaving his body. 

“Water’s fine,” Victor says while looking around Yuuri’s small apartment. He walks into the living room and looks at the few photos Yuuri hung up. It’s his family and a few with Phichit. There’s some from his past company, but not many. He didn’t make many friends there. 

“ABT?” Victor says while looking at one of Yuuri with his intern program. 

“Yeah,” he says. “I didn’t like it.” 

“I never left the Mariinsky,” Victor muses, seemingly lost in thought. 

“Um, here’s your water,” Yuuri says, walking over to Victor. Victor turns and takes the glass from Yuuri. 

“How many companies have you danced with?” Victor asks, taking the cup from Yuuri. 

Yuuri hums and recounts them in his head. “Ah, three? Four? I don’t know. I moved around a lot. At first, it was because I could only get short contracts, but then after the second move, I realized I wanted to dance somewhere I actually _liked_. I thought ABT could be that place, but it was a little too intense for me. I like it here though,” he says. 

Victor nods. “It never occurred to me that I could switch companies. Ever since I was young I was told I’d join the Bolshoi or Mariinsky, so that’s what I worked for. When I secured a spot with the Mariinsky the only other place I ever considered was the Bolshoi anyway. I liked where I was though. A lot of my friends were admitted the same year so that was nice.” 

Yuuri watches him as he studies the photo for another minute before turning to look at him. Their eyes meet and Yuuri takes a second to study his face. His expression is contemplative, maybe even sad. Wistful? Yuuri’s not if Victor regrets it or not. 

“Well enough about that. What’s for dinner? Chicken stir fry?” 

Groaning, Yuuri says, “I don’t want to eat chicken stir fry ever again. I mean, I know I will, but, ugh, not today. Today, we’re breaking the meal plan and eating katsudon. You’ll love it.” Yuuri’s eyes light up when he mentions katsudon and Victor doesn’t even care what it is if it makes Yuuri that happy. He knows he’ll love it. 

“Alright then. Katsudon. How do we cook it?” he asks. 

“We’re lucky I already had the foresight to purchase all the ingredients earlier this week, otherwise we’d have to go grocery shopping. I just knew I was going to want it soon,” Yuuri says while pulling pork out of the fridge. “You can work on breading the meat while I prepare the broth and rice,” he instructs Victor and begins taking out various pans and bowls. 

Yuuri shows Victor how to prepare the meat and then leaves Victor to his task while he completes his own. They dance around each other whenever they need something else, brief touches and soft smiles exchanged every time. At some point, they end up horribly singing pop songs they both know while frying pork cutlets. Together, they eat at the island while ranting about past dancers they’ve worked with and talking about their favorite movies. 

“How have you never seen a Ghibli film?” Yuuri asks, disbelief obvious on his face. 

Victor shrugs. “It just hasn’t happened. I know _of_ them; I just haven’t seen them myself.” 

“We’re watching them. Right now. I own all of them,” Yuuri says, his hand reaching out to grab Victor’s. He pulls Victor into the living room and sits him down in front of his laptop. 

“Which one are you most curious about?” Yuuri asks. 

“Uhh, _Spirited Away_, I guess? I’ve heard a lot about it,” Victor answers. 

Yuuri nods in agreement and then grabs a huge box set off his bookshelf. He pulls a dvd from it and then inserts the disc into his laptop. He curls up on the couch beside Victor and hits play.

  
***  


Slowly, they drift closer together until Yuuri’s resting his head on Victor’s shoulder and Victor’s arm rests behind Yuuri’s back. About halfway through the movie, Victor catches Yuuri snoring and he’s suddenly scared to move. He doesn’t want to disrupt Yuuri’s sleep. He can’t focus on the movie after that, too distracted by Yuuri’s soft snores and even softer face.

When the credits begin to roll Yuuri shifts, yawning while outstretching his legs. He looks around the room and blinks. Victor thinks he’s adorable. 

“Ah, I fell asleep? Sorry,” Yuuri says, moving away from Victor. It takes a lot of Victor’s willpower not to hold onto Yuuri. Once Yuuri’s fully sitting up beside Victor he asks, “Did you like it?” 

Nodding, Victor replies, “I did.” Admittedly, he doesn’t remember much of it. What he does remember though he enjoyed. 

“I’m glad. We can watch the others too. Not tonight, but eventually. Maybe weekly movie nights?” Yuuri says while looking towards the DVD box set. A few seconds later, he gasps and turns to Victor, his eyes wide. “I didn’t mean — I mean, only if you want to. We already spend a lot of time together. You probably have other things to do in your time off.” He looks down after speaking and clenches his hands together. Why wouldn’t Victor want to spend more time with Yuuri? 

“Movie nights sound amazing. I enjoy spending time with you, you know,” Victor says and his heart beats faster when Yuuri looks up at him with his face open and eyes smiling. God, Victor’s in deep. 

“I enjoy spending time with you too,” Yuuri whispers, face turned down again. Victor catches the faint blush that dusts Yuuri’s cheeks though. Ah, Yuuri will be the death of him. 

They sit together in silence for a few moments, the credits still playing in the background, and dim blue light from the laptop screen illuminating the room. It’s peaceful. It’s safe. Victor wonders when he last felt this comfortable. He faintly remembers a time his mother held him during a cold, but the memory’s old, and the feeling mostly lost to him. He doesn’t want to leave Yuuri. It’s so clear to him in this moment. He can’t leave Yuuri. 

Beside him, Yuuri nods forward and then jerks back. He shakes his head and then turns to Victor. “This couch isn’t comfortable for sleeping. Trust me, I’ve made the mistake too many times. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll sleep here, but if not...well, we could share my bed.” He says the last part so quietly Victor’s unsure if he heard him correctly. Yuuri’s asking him to share a bed. Victor wouldn’t want it any other way. 

“I don’t mind sharing,” he says, voice gentle. He has a feeling if he’s not sincere enough Yuuri won’t let them share. He’s nervous he’ll scare Yuuri off. 

“Okay,” Yuuri says and gets up. He offers a hand to Victor who accepts it, and then he pulls Victor off the couch. “It’s this way,” he says while pulling Victor behind him, hands still clasped. 

Victor happily follows Yuuri into the bedroom. Yuuri’s hands are warm and Victor’s heart almost can’t take it. He hasn’t felt this excited about someone in ages. Maybe never. 

Once they’re in the room, Yuuri drops their hands. “Um, do you need sleep clothes?” he asks.

“Oh, I guess I do,” Victor replies. Yuuri nods and then grabs some clothes from a dresser. He offers a pair of grey sweatpants and a pink ABT t-shirt. “I hope they fit. You’re a bit wider than me,” he says, eyeing Victor’s build. 

Victor pouts and Yuuri pats his shoulder comfortingly. “I like it,” he reassures Victor. Oh god, Victor needs to date this man. 

“Yuuri,” he says and Yuuri smiles at him. 

“Yes, Vitya?” 

_Why did he have to say Vitya?_ Of course it’s his name, but when Yuuri says it it’s different somehow. “Um, I —,” he starts but then stops. What is he doing? He can’t ask right now. 

Yuuri tilts his head and Victor needs to get himself together. 

“I appreciate it. Thank you,” he says instead. _That’s so awkward!_ his brain screams. 

“You’re welcome,” Yuuri replies a little uncertain. 

They change and then slide into bed together. Yuuri stays pretty close to his side so Victor tries to do the same. The bed is big enough for them, but it’d definitely be more comfortable if they weren’t afraid to touch each other. Yuuri turns his head to Victor and whispers, “Goodnight,” to which Victor returns the same gesture. 

In the morning, Yuuri’s drool has left a small wet spot on the shirt Victor’s borrowing, and his hair, practically up Victor’s nose, smells like cherries. Victor doesn’t resist his urge to run his fingers through the soft brown hair and when he hears a content sigh from Yuuri he doesn’t regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tentatively have the ending chapters outlined, so hopefully I can keep updating regularly *fingers crossed* 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


	6. Will You Go Out With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri freaks out, but it’s okay !!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to update !!! ahhh but here it is <3 
> 
> I’m doing this on my phone so sorry for any weird formatting that may happen. I’ll try to fix it tomorrow on my laptop

Yuuri felt a little embarrassed to drool all over Victor Nikiforov, but Victor repeatedly assured him before he left that it was fine, so he’s not too worried anymore. He cuddled Victor. He cuddled!! Victor!! He can’t believe he actually did that. 

**Yuuri:**

peach !! 

i cuddled with victor!!!

**Phichit:**

wait 

y’all haven’t kissed yet??? 

i’ve been waiting for my wedding invite 

**Yuuri:**

what!?? nooo 

last night was the first time i invited him over

we watched spirited away

i drooled on him

**Phichit:**

i…

i really thought y’all eloped by now

**Yuuri:**

i don’t think victor likes me like that…

A second later his phone rings and it’s Phichit. He hesitantly answers and puts it on speaker. 

“What do you mean by that?” he asks immediately. 

Yuuri shifts in his bed and sighs. “He’s  _ nice _ , but he’s nice with everyone. Even if he wanted to date me, there’s no way I’d be able to keep him interested for long. I’m kind of...mediocre.” 

He can hear Phichit loudly sigh on the other side of the line and he can almost imagine him rolling his eyes. 

“Yuuri, I’ve told you before, but you’re  _ hot _ and  _ interesting _ . People like you and want to be around you. People want to date you.  _ Victor _ wants to date you. I can see it every time you’re together. He gets a gross dreamy look on his face. You do too.” 

“He did say he likes spending time with me,” Yuuri adds quietly. “But that could mean anything!” he says, louder. 

“Hopeless. Both of you,” Phichit says. 

“Whatever,” Yuuri grumbles. 

He likes Victor a lot and he would love to date Victor, but Victor is  _ Victor _ , how could he want someone like Yuuri? Yuuri’s plain and he has to work incredibly hard at dance and has trouble managing his weight. Victor’s flawless and godlike. He makes everything look effortless. 

“Earth to Yuuri, are you there?” Phichit says. 

“Yeah, just...thinking. Do you really think he likes me?” Yuuri asks. 

“Yes, I do,” he answers. 

“Maybe…” he says. Pauses, and adds, “I don’t know.” 

“Let me know when you figure it out. Preferably with a wedding invite,” Phichit says. 

“Um, sure,” Yuuri replies. 

Phichit hangs up after that and Yuuri rolls to the other side of his bed. The side Victor slept on. Yuuri felt warm and safe and  _ happy _ waking up in Victor’s arms. He can still see Victor’s soft expression aimed at him when he woke up, lying on Victor's chest and realizing he’d drooled on him. Ugh, still embarrassing, but Victor looked at him so fondly. How? Yuuri doesn’t understand it. He didn’t get it when Victor seemed to hold him a little tighter, or the faint sensation of someone combing fingers through his hair. It makes his heart clench and his brain muddled. He knows he wants Victor, but what does Victor want? 

That night during practice, Victor is acting weird. He keeps slipping up on basic steps and he seems unsure whenever he tries to help Yuuri. After fifteen minutes of this insanity, Yuuri stops them and looks at Victor. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks. Does Victor regret last night? Does he want to end this? 

Victor takes a breath and looks directly at Yuuri. “Yuuri, we need to talk.” Yuuri’s heart thuds in his chest, blood roaring in his ears. “Last night helped me realize some things…” Oh god, he’s going to end it. “Yuuri, would you like to go out with me?” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drool on you. I understand why you — wait, what?” Yuuri says. 

Victor blinks. “The drool? What?” 

“Um, I didn’t...What did you ask me?” Yuuri asks. Is he dreaming? He doesn’t understand what’s happening. 

Victor shuffles his feet and then meets Yuuri’s gaze again. “Do you want to go out with me? On a date?” 

“I’m sorry, I...I need to go,” Yuuri says and then picks up his bag and walks out of the studio in a daze. 

“Yuuri?” Victor calls after him. He barely hears it. “Yuuri!” 

Yuuri doesn’t stop walking. Why is he leaving? Didn’t he want this? Ah, he’s so confused. He can’t handle this right now. He needs his bed. So he walks. 

When he gets home he notices several missed calls from Victor and one text message: 

**Vitya:**

are you okay?

Yuuri sighs and then opens the fridge to pull out the few leftovers from last night. Fuck his diet plan. While he’s warming up his food he looks at his phone again. Is he okay? He’s not sure. He just panicked and left. That must’ve looked terrible. He’s terrible. 

He still doesn’t answer the text as he eats or when he lies down on the couch to binge anime. He continues to ignore it when he showers, does some light stretching, and eventually gets into bed with a book. He almost replies before he falls asleep, but panics again and hides his phone in the living room. He doesn’t sleep well that night, tossing and turning uncomfortably. 

He wakes up with his face buried into the pillow Victor slept on. It still smells faintly of sandalwood. Yuuri inhales and then slowly exhales. Okay. He can do this. He can apologize to Victor and ask for a second chance. 

He gets up and retrieves his phone from the living room. 

**Vitya:**

are you okay? 

**Yuuri:**

yes

studio 5, same time

He waits a bit, but Victor doesn’t reply. He’s not too upset with that. After all, he didn’t reply for a whole night. He’s really terrible. 

He walks to the kitchen and begins cooking breakfast. Eggs, avocado, and a slice of toast. He’s not sure if he can handle making anything else. He eats while scrolling through Twitter and tries not to let his silent phone bother him. He hurt Victor. He can’t be mad. 

After breakfast he decides to distract himself with a walk, so he trudges downstairs and walks out into the warm and slightly humid morning air. He walks into the neighborhood behind his apartment complex, the sounds of cars driving down the interstate slowly fading to the background. 

The farther from the road he gets, the quieter the neighborhood becomes. There aren’t many people awake at 7am in the summer. He listens to trees swaying in the wind and eventually he reaches the creek. The water gurgles as it flows downstream and Yuuri can hear birds chirping in the trees above him. A squirrel darts in front of him and disappears into some bushes. 

Yuuri walks along the creek until he finds a bench where he sits down. He tilts his head back and gazes at the trees above him, sunlight filtering through the spaces between leaves. Closing his eyes, he inhales deeply, the earthy smell of dirt and grass consuming him. Victor might not forgive him. That’s okay. Yuuri just needs to apologize and then respect whatever Victor’s choice is after that. His heart twinges at the possibility of rejection, but he knows he messed up first. Why did he have to run?

Once he’s soaked up enough sunshine and fresh air, he walks back to his apartment and gets ready for work. He doesn’t look at his phone and then does his best to stay focused during his classes. When a student asks if he’s alright he uses the excuse that he’s tired. Really, he’s scared. He’s not sure if Victor will show up tonight, or if his apology will come across as sincere. He wants to fix things though. He likes Victor too much not to.

***

Yuuri wonders if he should even bother entering the studio. Victor probably won’t come. He was too rude last night. He’s an idiot. Despite everything, he still hopes Victor will give him a chance to explain. Why does this feel like they’re breaking up before they even started? 

He drops his bag near the entrance and walks over to the barre. He goes through his warm up exercises in silence and sighs when he doesn’t see Victor in the entrance yet. He grabs his phone and starts the music for their choreography piece. After a couple sessions, they finally chose a new song, and Yuuri can’t imagine the program ever being anything else. It’s theirs now. Yuuri can’t deny that it isn’t. Victor’s helped too much that it’s turned into a duet of them. Where Yuuri ends and Victor starts is indistinguishable. It’s all them. 

Midway through the program he hears a thud, stopping he looks towards the entrance to see Victor just setting his bag down. He can’t move. Victor came. He’s here. 

“Vitya?” he says, a little hesitant.

Victor looks at him and tries to smile. “Sorry, I’m late. A student had some questions.” 

Yuuri nods. Their song continues playing in the background. The current slow passage is where Victor helped Yuuri with a transition, a few notes later is where Yuuri first argued with Victor. 

_ “No, it needs to be a développé. The attitude doesn’t fit here. See?” _ _ _

Towards the end of the song, Yuuri remembers Victor’s blue eyes fixed on him and the question leaving his mouth,  _ “How’s your penché?”  _

_ Yuuri stopped and blinked. “Um, pretty good? I’m not always consistent.”  _

_ “Can I see?” Victor asked. His hands extended, then dropped, eyes flicking to the barre.  _

_ Yuuri approached Victor and rested his hands on his chest, looking up into his eyes. “It’s alright.”  _

_ So Victor knelt and Yuuri raised his leg, bending until he’s eye level with Victor, a perfect 180 split.  _

_ “Beautiful,” Victor whispered.  _

As the song ends, Yuuri knows he can’t let this end. He fell  _ in love _ here. They’ve been dating this whole time. Phichit’s right. 

“Vitya, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that. I should’ve said something sooner. I hurt you, and I’m sorry. Is there any way for you to forgive me?” Yuuri says, heart pounding. 

Victor pauses. 

“Why did you leave?” he asks. 

“I panicked. I wanted that. I wanted it so much, but I got scared I wasn’t worth it. I still shouldn’t have left. That was cruel,” Yuuri replies. 

“It did worry me, but you said you wanted it? You don’t hate me?” Victor says. 

Yuuri steps closer. “No. Never. Vitya, I think...I think we’re idiots. We’ve been dating this whole time. I think...well, I think I might love you.” 

Victor’s eyes widen at the confession. “You...love...me..?” he says each word slowly as if they won’t process. 

Stepping even closer, Yuuri speaks, “Yes. I love you. We did this completely backwards, but if you’ll have me, I’d love a do-over.” 

Victor blinks. “A do-over?” 

“Yes. We can actually date and fall in love.” A pause. “Again. I guess,” Yuuri says. He thought that could be good for them. Reading Victor’s expression now he’s not so sure. 

“I don’t want a redo, Yuuri. I like everything we’ve done. I like us. I love you. Let’s just keep going, please?” he says. 

Now Yuuri blinks. What? “You’re not mad anymore?” 

Victor shakes his head. “No, I was never really mad. Mostly just shocked.” 

“Oh,” Yuuri says quite eloquently. Of course.

They’re silent for a minute before they both begin speaking. 

“Would you go out with me?” they say at the time. 

Laughing, Yuuri replies, “Yes, of course.”

Victor smiles too. “Yes, please.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	7. Boating Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayaking, kisses, and cuddling !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone from the 18OI Discord suggested a boating date, and I can’t for the life of me remember who it was, but I am immensely grateful for the suggestion and had a lot of fun writing it! Please enjoy <3

On Saturday morning, Yuuri meets Victor at Lake of the Isles where they rent a two person kayak. Yuuri packed them a picnic which they carefully set inside the kayak with them, and then with a splash they push the boat onto the calm water. Victor climbs in the front and Yuuri gets into the back. 

The air is still cool with the sun slowly rising above them. A few other people are out on the lake, but it’s quiet. Quacking, a duck flies past them and lands a few feet away. Yuuri shifts in his seat, readjusting his life jacket, and squinting at the mid-morning sun. 

“Have you done this a lot, Yuuri?” Victor asks once they’re halfway around their first lap of the lake. 

Yuuri hums. “Phichit took me once when I first got here, and I sailed a little at home, but really, I haven’t kayaked that much,” he says. 

“This is my first time. How am I doing?” Victor asks with a glance over his shoulder at Yuuri. 

“Good! Your pace is steady which helps a lot,” Yuuri says. 

“I’m glad. I’m having a lot of fun,” Victor says and Yuuri can hear his smile. 

They paddle around the lake for an hour or so before landing on one of the islands. They haul the kayak up and look around. There’s quite a few trees and birds flying overhead. They walk in a bit and find a space large enough to spread out their blanket for their picnic. Together they open the blanket and let it float down, settling over a bed of pine needles and moist soil. 

After they’ve sat down, Yuuri opens the cooler he brought and hands Victor a chicken sandwich. Victor takes the sandwich, thanking him while glancing around at the trees surrounding them. 

“It’s like our own little hideaway,” Victor muses. 

Yuuri takes his own sandwich out and closes the cooler. He looks around himself before returning his gaze to Victor. “I guess it is,” he replies, a cool breeze rustling the trees and fluttering his bangs. 

They eat together mostly in silence with only a few words exchanged. Once they’ve finished they decide to stay a little longer and lie out on the blanket. Yuuri ends up with his head resting on Victor’s chest and Victor’s fingers seem to find their way into Yuuri’s hair or dancing their routine along his arms. They talk more about their likes and dislikes and their goals. It’s nice. 

When Victor’s telling a story about a time Makkachin wouldn’t let him give her bath resulting in the apartment soaked and Victor questioning his insanity, Yuuri can’t help but move a little closer. Victor’s so beautiful. And caring. And warm. And  _ here _ . 

Victor glances down at him questioningly and Yuuri smiles while shifting to move his face even closer. 

“Can I kiss you, Vitya?” he asks, voice sweet and smile soft. 

Victor nods and then the final space between them closes. Yuuri sighs into the kiss and it feels like coming home. He can’t remember the last time he felt this relaxed and comfortable with someone else. He moves a hand to twist into Victor’s hair eliciting a groan from the older man, and Yuuri can’t help but smile, breaking the kiss. 

“Wow,” Victor gasps, breathless. 

“Mm,” Yuuri replies, his smile growing wider. 

He leans down and connects their lips again. Victor parting his to allow Yuuri in farther. They stay together like that for awhile before they hear someone shouting on the lake. 

“Hey! No one’s allowed on the island! Whoever it is, you need to vacate immediately!” the person shouts. 

Yuuri scrambles back and hurries to gather their trash. Victor still looks stunned as he stuffs wrappers and napkins back into the cooler and then tugs at the blanket. 

“Vitya, get up! Did you hear that person? We can’t be here!” he says. 

Victor blinks and then rolls off the blanket. He helps Yuuri fold it again and then together they walk back out to the boat. 

Floating on the lake beside where their kayak is landed, there’s a man, probably mid-40’s, sitting in his own kayak, scowling towards the island. He only scowls more when he spots Victor and Yuuri emerge from the tree, hands held, and hair messy. 

“Kids,” he mutters before straightening and addressing Victor and Yuuri directly. “Didn’t you see the signs? No one’s allowed on the island.” 

Yuuri glances around them, but doesn’t spot any signs. He shakes his head at the man. “We didn’t see any signs. Sorry, sir.” 

The man huffs and shakes his own head. “I’ll let ya off easy this time, but don’t enter the island ever again, ya hear?” 

Yuuri nods. “We won’t.” 

Him and Victor push their boat back out, climbing in and joining the man on the lake. He glares at them one final time before pushing his own paddle into the lake and going back toward shore. 

Once he’s out of earshot, Victor laughs. 

“Yuuri, did you see his face? Oh my gosh,” he exclaims. 

Yuuri tries to hold his own laughter back. “Vitya, be serious. We’re lucky he didn’t fine us or something,” he says. 

“I know, I know. But it was kind of funny, right?” he says. 

Grinning, Yuuri replies, “Yes, it was a little funny.” 

Victor leans back to kiss Yuuri’s cheek and then they set off back towards shore themselves. They return the kayak and life jackets and then walk back to Victor’s car. Yuuri originally insisted he take the bus, and Victor conceded this morning, but now he insists Yuuri rides with him. 

Victor rolls the windows down and Yuuri sticks a hand out his while they drive back to Victor’s apartment. The large houses along the parkway look beautiful and they make up stories about the people who live there. 

“I think an older couple lives in this one,” Victor says as they approach a brown-colored mansion. There’s an arch along the side leading into the backyard and hedges surrounding the perimeter. 

Yuuri eyes the simple brick and neatly trimmed yard. “I can see it,” he says while they drive past. 

He imagines what it’d be like for him and Victor to live somewhere like that when they’re old. Shaking his head, he tries to clear the fantasy. How can he know how long he and Victor will last? 

It’s not long before they merge onto a busier street with more cars and general noise. Yuuri finds he loves the busy sounds in the city just as much as he loves the quiet in Hasetsu. 

They survive traffic and then Victor’s turning into a parking garage for an apartment complex just inside downtown. The building looms high above Yuuri who cranes his neck to see the top before they disappear underground. 

Victor parks a few rows down and then he leads Yuuri to the elevator. Inside the elevator, their fingers brush and Yuuri shifts closer. Now that they’ve finally kissed he’s more aware of his desire to be near Victor, and to touch and be touched by Victor. The elevator takes them to the fifth floor before stopping and Victor leads them out. They walk down the long hallway and stop at the last door on the left. 

“Home sweet home,” Victor says while pulling his key out and unlocking the door.

There’s a clattering of claws against hardwood and then a large ball of fur on top of Yuuri. A long tongue licks his face and he laughs while trying to reorient himself. 

“Makka!” Victor exclaims and tries to pull her off. 

Yuuri’s fingers curl into her fur and he shakes his head. “She’s okay.” 

He pulls himself up after that and Makka sits back, her tail thumping against the floor. 

“How’d you find a place that allows big dogs?” Yuuri asks while scratching behind Makka’s ear. 

Victor shrugs. “I did some calling and got lucky I guess. It helps that I made quite a bit with the Mariinsky and my year of choreography.” 

Humming, Yuuri nods and then stands up. 

“Does she need to go out?” he asks. 

Victor shakes his head, “No, the walker should’ve just dropped her off not long ago. If you want, we can take her out later?” 

“Ah,” Yuuri says, watching as Makka walks off, most likely towards her bed. 

He turns back to Victor. “Then what do you want to do?” he asks. He can feel his cheeks warming. They’ve been alone outside the studio before, but somehow today feels different. He feels lighter, and he  _ wants _ . He wants to be near Victor and with Victor. 

Slightly lifting an eyebrow, Victor shoots the question back. “What do you want, Yuuri?” 

Feeling brave, Yuuri replies, “You.”

Victor smiles, stepping closer, “Oh?”

Yuuri leans up and kisses him. Victor’s hand moves to cup his face, fingers gently stroking his cheeks. He wraps an arm around Victor’s neck, feeling his body relax. His lips part at Victor’s gentle persuasion. After awhile, Yuuri pulls back with a smile. “I really like you.”

Laughing, Victor replies, “I really like you too.” 

They spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling on the couch, lazily kissing and enjoying each other’s presence. Later, they walk Makka together, hands clasped while Makka sniffs each tree they pass. For dinner, they cook together again, falling easily into a routine as if they’d been doing it for years. 

After the dishes are done and the leftovers put away, they lay on the couch again. Yuuri rests his head on Victor’s chest with Victor’s fingers slowly moving through Yuuri’s hair. 

“I don’t want to go home,” Yuuri whispers. He feels warm and happy. Moving feels like too much work. 

“Then stay,” Victor replies. 

Yuuri turns his head to look at Victor. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

“I insist. You looked so cute last time,” he says. Then, after a pause, “Besides, I miss your drool.”

Yuuri slaps his arm. “Don’t remind me!” He can feel his cheeks warm. That was _so_ embarrassing. 

He feels Victor’s chest rumble with his laughs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But really, stay.” 

His eyes grow soft and Yuuri never really planned to leave anyway. “Okay,” he says. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can join the 18OI server here: https://discord.gg/jRXfSXc   
Thank you for reading <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of summer is quickly approaching along with Yuuri's program evaluation. After some doubts, Yuuri and Victor work it out, and later, relieve some tension...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! Please mind the rating change. 
> 
> Smut starts at the second line break and continues until the end of chapter. 
> 
> Happy reading!

After their first official date, they begin spending more time at each other’s homes. More often at Victor’s though so Makkachin doesn’t feel left out. Their choreography has finally come together and since they decided they’d perform the piece themselves for the showcase they’ve been practicing it almost endlessly. They still have to get approved for the winter showcase, but Victor’s confidence has rubbed off onto Yuuri so he’s less anxious about their fast approaching evaluation deadline. To take an occasional break from their program, they’ll shuffle a random playlist and perform those songs instead. It’s good. Yuuri’s happy. 

When they’re practicing the day before the evaluation, Yuuri suddenly stops mid-spin and looks to Victor. 

“It’s wrong,” he says. His eyebrows furrow and then he does the spin again. He shakes his head and then looks to Victor again with wide eyes. “Vitya, it’s wrong.” 

At first Victor doesn’t respond. Instead, he pauses the music and then returns to Yuuri. 

“What’s wrong about it?” he asks, softly. He’s standing close enough to touch, but doesn’t reach out. 

Yuuri huffs while gesturing vaguely. “I don’t know. The entrance felt wrong. The flow wasn’t there. Should we change it?” 

Humming, Victor steps away and does the previous sequence. Yuuri’s eyes follow him and when Victor stops, he asks, “What’s wrong about it? We never had a problem with this section before.”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri repeats, his head hanging. Defeated. 

Victor steps closer again, placing a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? Are you nervous?” 

Biting his lower lip, Yuuri nods. “Yeah. It wasn’t too bad at first, but now… well, now it’s tomorrow and I’m worried we won’t get approval. I mean, you weren’t even supposed to be here originally. I just, I don’t know. I’m scared.” 

Victor shifts again, and wraps his arms completely around Yuuri. “It’s good to be nervous. It means you care. I’m scared too. If we aren’t approved, which I doubt will happen, but if it does, we can take the choreo to other showcases.” 

Yuuri relaxes in the embrace and sighs. He’s still scared, but he feels slightly better knowing Victor’s scared too. He doesn’t know how he got so lucky. Getting to know Victor and spending time with Victor is something Yuuri never thought would actually happen. Of course he dreamed about it, but he didn’t think it’d ever come true. Now that he knows Victor’s love he’s not sure he ever wants to be without it. 

“Wait — other showcases? How long are you staying here?” Yuuri asks, the words finally catching up to him. 

Victor pulls away and looks down at Yuuri, eyebrows drawn together. “I had already planned to stay through February for the showcase. If you’d like, I hope to renew the lease for longer. I’ve already had a few offers for work.” 

Oh.  _ Oh _ . Victor wants to stay. With Yuuri. 

“I’d, um, I’d like that,” Yuuri admits, feeling his cheeks warm. 

Victor smiles. “Great! I’ll let my landlord know, and I’ll relook at my work offers.”

They continue practice in a much lighter mood and eventually retire to Victor’s apartment. 

***

For the evaluation, the company owner and a few of the senior dancers are present as judges. Yuuri still feels nervous, but when Victor’s hand rests in his own, he begins to feel some of his anxiety alleviated. Victor’s scared too. They’re doing this together. 

“What’s the story for your piece?” James, the company owner, asks. 

Yuuri glances at Victor, and then answers, “It was originally about unrequited love and longing, but it eventually evolved so the love was returned. Now it’s about two persons’ longing being answered and the joy of finding someone you love.”

James nods. “Very well. You may begin when you’re ready.”

Yuuri moves to the right of the dance floor while Victor moves left. Once they’re in their starting position, Yuuri nods to the assistant at the docking system. Piano and violin music fills the space and Yuuri begins moving. He barely registers everything as he glides across the floor, just past Victor, and then slowly, slowly, they meet. The music shifts to a brighter tone as they begin dancing together, Yuuri safe in Victor’s embrace and support. A crescendo of violins and piano marks the height of the couple’s relationship; their final acceptance of each other, and then the music grows quieter, the movements softer, as they settle into their new love. Delicately, they dance around each other, Victor lifting Yuuri once, and then gently setting him down. They end, facing each other, Yuuri’s hand caressing the side of Victor’s face. Victor leans into the touch, his smile soft, and Yuuri’s heart clenches. How did he get so lucky?

After the music fades away, the only sounds are of their heavy breathing, their chests heaving. They hold character for a moment, and then, slowly, they untangle and bow. 

“Thank you Yuuri and Victor. We’ll be in touch,” James says and then everyone moves to leave. 

Once the room has cleared, Yuuri turns back to Victor and flings his arms around his neck. He leans up and kisses Victor. It doesn’t take long for things to turn heated, soft moans and gasps falling from their lips. 

“You’re amazing,” Yuuri breathes after they pull away. 

Laughing, Victor shakes his head. “Me? I’m amazed by you every day.” 

Yuuri leans up and kisses him again. “Let’s go home.”

***

They’re barely inside the door before Yuuri’s pressed against the wall beside it, Victor kicking the door shut, his hands already tangled in Yuuri’s hair. Yuuri moans as his back hits the wall, and he tugs Victor closer once he hears the door click shut. He wraps a leg around Victor’s waist when he decides they’re still too far apart despite their bodies touching head to toe. 

“Mmm, Vitya,” he moans. “More.”

Victor begins kissing down his jawline and onto his neck. He gently nips at the sensitive skin causing Yuuri to shudder and let out another moan. His places his hands under Yuuri’s thighs, and whispers, “Jump.” 

Yuuri does and then he’s lifted up, both legs wound around Victor, his arms slung over his shoulders. The new height gives Victor better access to kiss and nip along his collarbones. Yuuri feels delirious with the attention. One of Victor’s bites is a little harder than the rest, causing Yuuri to yelp. Victor whispers an apology and licks over the spot in a weak attempt to soothe it. 

“Bedroom,” Yuuri says as Victor begins moving his kisses back to his lips. 

As Victor’s carrying Yuuri to the bedroom, Makkachin greets them and Yuuri can’t contain the laugh that escapes him. 

“Sorry girl, we’ll have to play later,” he says as she sniffs his leg. 

Carefully Victor maneuvers them towards a treat bowl he keeps out, and Yuuri takes out a treat. “Take this and go lay down,” he says, tossing the treat towards Makka’s bed. She happily walks over to the treat, drags it towards her bed, and then lays down to enjoy it. 

“Hurry,” Yuuri whispers, another giggle threatening to escape him. Victor briefly kisses him again, and then they finish their journey to the bed. 

After depositing Yuuri on the bed, Victor makes sure the door is securely closed, and then he rejoins his boyfriend. 

“I missed you,” Yuuri whispers when the bed dips beside him. 

“I was gone for two seconds,” Victor says. 

Yuuri shakes his head while reaching for Victor. “Don’t care. Missed you.” 

They kiss again. This time slower. Sweeter. Yuuri savors everything about Victor from his lips to his hands on Yuuri’s waist to how warm and safe he feels. When they pull back again, Yuuri pulls his shirt off with Victor following. They soon rejoin, hands tangled in each other’s hair and mouths working together. Victor grinds down and Yuuri gasps, breaking their kiss. He does it again, Yuuri groaning from the friction. When he sees an opening, he flips them, looking down at Victor with a satisfied smirk. 

“My turn,” he says with a grin. 

He kisses along Victor’s jawline, up to his ear which he gently pulls into his mouth and sucks. Victor gasps below him, his grip on Yuuri’s hips tightening. Once he’s satisfied he moves on to kiss down Victor’s neck and then nip near his clavicle. 

“Yuuri, Yuuri,” Victor pants. “Please.” 

Yuuri continues down until he reaches one of Victor’s nipples. He sucks the small bud, relishing when Victor moans, arching up into him. His hand goes to pinch the other nipple and Victor’s moan goes up a pitch. 

“Vitya, you’re so pretty,” Yuuri whispers, sitting up again. 

Victor’s usually perfectly-styled hair is messy, stray pieces sticking out, his lips kiss-swollen, and cheeks flush. 

“Beautiful,” Yuuri says again and reaches to rest a hand along Victor’s cheek. Victor turns his head slightly and kisses the hand. 

“I love you,” Victor whispers. 

“I love you too,” Yuuri replies and then swings one of his legs to get off Victor. He quickly pushes his sweatpants off and then helps Victor slide out of his. 

When Yuuri rejoins Victor on the bed, they’re both completely naked and Yuuri’s retrieved the lube and condoms Victor directed him towards. 

Yuuri straddles Victor again and smiles. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” Victor says with a laugh. 

Their cocks both stand tall between them and Yuuri gasps when they brush past each other as he settles on top of Victor again. He grabs the lube and squirts a little on his fingers. 

While warming it he looks back to Victor, eyelids heavy. “Don’t take your eyes off me,” he says, and then he reaches back, one finger prodding his hole. 

Slowly he slides it in and gasps, leaning forward, his other arm supporting him while pressed to the bed beside Victor. He begins moving the finger, small gasps and moans escaping his lips. He looks to make sure Victor’s watching and almost comes when he sees Victor’s dilated eyes, only a sliver of blue visible. 

“Beautiful,” Victor compliments and Yuuri feels himself flush despite the current exertion. He adds another finger, pumping a little faster once he’s adjusted. The slick sound of his fingers moving in and out of him and their moans are the only sounds filling the room. 

“Mmm, soon. Wanna feel you in me,” Yuuri moans, picking up his speed again. 

“Me too. Please, Yuuri,” Victor begs below him. God, he’s so hot. 

Yuuri removes his fingers and wipes them on the bed. He grabs the condom and then scoots back so he can roll it onto Victor’s cock. Victor groans as he puts the condom on, but his eyes don’t leave Yuuri. Good. 

Yuuri moves forward again and then leans over to kiss Victor. “Ready?” he asks

Victor nods, his eyes focused on Yuuri. “Yes.” 

Yuuri leans back, lines Victor’s cock with his hole, and then slowly sinks down. The stretch burns a little but quickly turns to pleasure. Once he’s fully sunk down, he pauses. Full. He feels so full. 

“Are you okay?” Victor asks, his eyes soft, and his hands on Yuuri’s thigh rubbing circles. 

Yuuri nods. “Yeah. So good. Why didn’t we do this sooner?” 

Before Victor can reply, Yuuri pushes up and then slides down again. They groan in unison at the new friction. Yuuri slowly works up a steady pace, Victor’s hand a comforting presence on his thighs or hips. He readjusts until Victor’s hitting that sweet spot almost every time. 

“I’m close,” Victor says, his grip tightening. 

“Ah, me too,” Yuuri says, a whine escaping him when he falls particularly hard. He’s not weak, but he’s tiring. 

“Let me just —” Victor says, grabbing Yuuri’s hips, his knees coming up to gain purchase on the mattress, and then he thrusts up. 

“Ah, ah,” Yuuri moans as Victor continues thrusting up into him. Sometimes he moves again to meet Victor’s movements, but mostly he savors being held and fucked thoroughly. 

“Gonna come,” he breathes. He can feel it. A low pressure in his groin. It’s been building slowly for what feels like ages. He’s going to burst any second especially if Victor keeps hitting that spot. 

One of Victor’s hands moves to grip Yuuri’s cock and he jerks in surprise, quickly followed by a loud moan. Victor begins pumping his cock in time with his thrusts and Yuuri knows he won’t last. 

“Vitya,” is all he manages to say before he’s spilling over Victor’s hand and across their chests. A few seconds later he can feel the condom fill as Victor orgasms too. He collapses against Victor’s heaving chest. He can feel Victor’s racing heart and he places a hand over it. 

“Really love you,” he mutters while trying to gain clarity again post-orgasm. 

Victor rolls Yuuri to the side and carefully pulls out. He gets up and disposes of the condom in the bathroom trash. He cleans himself off and then wets a washcloth for Yuuri.

Yuuri watches, half-awake, as Victor gently wipes him down and cleans him. He smiles when their eyes meet and half-wishes he had enough energy to do anything. He wants to run his fingers through Victor’s hair. His Vitya. 

Victor puts the washcloth back in the bathroom and then slides into bed beside Yuuri. He wraps an arm around him, and pulls him close. Kissing the top of Yuuri’s head, he whispers, “I love you.” 

Yuuri hums contentedly in response. He knows Victor knows how much he loves him. Soon he drifts off to a well-rested sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!
> 
> Or come scream at me in the 18+!!! on Ice server: [here](https://discord.gg/jRXfSXc)


	9. Craving You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri have their first fancy dinner date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!!! i managed to post this before midnight, i am hashtag proud. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

With the end of July comes heat and the end of their summer program. It’s finally time for the students to show off what they learned over the summer and for the teachers to go back to their regular training for the fall season. Yuuri doesn’t plan to audition for any major roles since he wants to focus on his and Victor’s program. He’s already spoken with his directors about it and they agree that it’s better for him to take background roles. When he told Victor he seemed convinced that Yuuri could handle a major role and continue working with him, but he supported Yuuri’s choice nonetheless. 

Regarding his students, Yuuri thinks that they’ve all worked hard and will do well at the showcase. Since he had an older class, many of them will do solos while the rest do a short series of group dances. 

On the night of the showcase, quiet chatter can be heard from families talking in the auditorium while the dancers go through final preparation. Yuuri does his best helping with costumes or makeup when he can, every once and awhile his eyes catching Victor’s. He smiles every time and once catches Victor mouthing ‘I love you.’ Yuuri’s never felt this warm. 

All of the students perform wonderfully and their parents spend a lot of time thanking the instructors during the after show party. It’s mostly just for the students to celebrate the end of classes and for parents to connect with the instructors a final time. Victor and Yuuri manage to squeeze a few dances in, Phichit loudly cheering when he realizes they finally got their shit together. 

Afterwards, they collapse happy and tired into Victor’s bed, Makkachin lying at their feet. 

“You were wonderful tonight,” Victor says, pulling Yuuri closer. 

“Mm, it was all the students,” Yuuri replies, snuggling into Victor’s neck. 

“You’re too modest,” Victor muses, but kisses the top of Yuuri’s head anyway. 

It doesn’t take long for both of them to drift off to sleep, warm in each other’s arms, and not wanting it any other way. 

In the morning, Victor awakens before Yuuri, and he can smell breakfast cooking as he slowly opens his eyes and stretches. As he sits up, he hears thumping, and glances to see Makka lying at the end of the bed, ears perked and head turned towards him. 

“Good morning, beautiful girl,” he coos, hand outstretched to pet her. 

She crawls over and he scratches her ear until she calms again. He kisses the top of her head and then slides off the bed. 

Entering the kitchen, he sees Victor cooking at the stove, humming their song, hips swaying as he flips eggs. Yuuri smiles and walks over, sliding his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, and kissing Victor’s cheek.

“Good morning,” he murmurs. 

Victor lies a hand over Yuuri’s and smiles wider. “Morning, love. Are eggs and avocado, okay?” 

“Mm,” Yuuri hums. He disentangles and walks over to the bread box. “Only if we can have toast too.” 

Victor nods and Yuuri adds some bread into the toaster. 

A few minutes later, they sit down together to eat, Victor pulling Yuuri into his lap. 

“Vitya!” Yuuri squeals. “How can you eat like this?” 

In response, Victor picks up his fork, gathers some egg onto it, and lifts it to Yuuri’s mouth. Yuuri sighs but opens his mouth anyway. Victor slides the food in and Yuuri swallows. 

“This is feeding me and not you,” he protests as Victor begins readying another bite. 

“Then you’ll have to feed me too,” Victor replies.

They continue breakfast like that, exchanging bites of each other’s food and happy to spend time together. 

After breakfast, they walk Makka and play with her at the park. Even though she’s getting old she still runs like a puppy and wants to play catch endlessly. She ends up wearing Victor and Yuuri out instead of the other way around and they head back once their arms can’t take it anymore. 

Back at the apartment, Makka runs off to her bed and Victor pulls Yuuri close, kissing him briefly. 

“I wanna take you out. I haven’t treated you to a nice dinner yet,” Victor says after pulling away. 

Yuuri nods. “That sounds nice. I think we deserve it.” 

“Great! I’ll make the reservations then. Do you wanna go home and change?” Victor asks. He still has his hands on Yuuri’s hips, one has lifted his shirt slightly, his thumb slowly rubbing up and down on the exposed skin. 

“Mm, yeah. I don’t have any nice clothes here,” Yuuri says. Despite being almost practically moved in with Victor, Yuuri still has a lot of his belongings back at his own apartment. 

“Okay, I’ll text you the details later. See you soon, my love,” Victor says and then kisses the top of Yuuri’s head. 

“I love you,” Yuuri replies, pulling away with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.” 

***

Yuuri has to FaceTime Phichit to figure out what to wear. He knows he won’t be able to pick out the perfect outfit on his own. 

“Peach! I miss you,” he says when Phichit answers his call. 

Rolling his eyes, Phichit replies, “Sure. You’re definitely thinking about me when you’re spending time with _ Victor _.” 

“I do miss you though,” Yuuri says with a pout. 

“I miss you too. So, how’s Victor? When’s the wedding?” Phichit asks, waggling his eyebrows. 

“No wedding...yet. Things are good. I need help picking a date outfit. It’s a fancy dinner, but I don’t know where,” Yuuri says. 

Phichit taps his chin, and then his face lights up. “What about your outfit to our senior dinner? It was a hit.” 

Groaning, Yuuri replies, “You know I want to forget that night ever happened.”

“Maybe things got a little wild, but everyone loved it,” Phichit says. 

Deciding to give in, because, yes, that outfit _ was _amazing, Yuuri walks to his closer, and pulls out the sheer top and black slacks he wore to an after party their senior year in college. Yuuri felt like he looked great in the ensemble, but he’s felt hesitant to wear it since he ended up getting drunk and starting way too many dance battles. 

He turns around with the outfit and shows Phichit. “Are you sure? It might be too…scandalous.” 

Phichit shakes his head. “No way. You’ll look hot _ and _ classy.” 

“Hmm, alright,” Yuuri agrees, somewhat begrudgingly. He does love the outfit, but he still feels apprehensive. 

He quickly changes and then does a spin for his friend. Phichit whistles and suggests he tries some makeup. Yuuri doesn’t protest — he likes dressing up occasionally — and takes Phichit with him to the bathroom. He does some eyeliner, lip gloss, and gels his hair back. When he looks at himself in the mirror it’s someone he rarely sees. It looks like him, but it reminds him of going on stage. 

“Victor’s gonna die when he sees you,” Phichit says with a laugh. “Can I watch?” 

Yuuri shakes his head. “No way. We’re hanging up before Victor gets here.” 

Phichit pouts but doesn’t protest any more. Yuuri checks his messages to see one from Victor saying he’ll be here at 7 which is in about thirty minutes. 

“He’ll actually be here soon,” Yuuri replies, looking back at his friend. 

“You look amazing and you’re going to have lots of fun. Please don’t forget to invite me to the wedding,” Phichit says. 

“I won’t,” Yuuri promises. He’s not sure he’ll marry Victor, but he’d never forget Phichit whenever he does get married. 

Phichit waves and then they hang up. 

Yuuri paces until he hears a knock on his door. He walks over to the door and opens it, revealing Victor looking dazzling on the other side. He’s wearing a soft grey turtleneck and some form-fitting black jeans. Yuuri watches as Victor’s happy expression slowly turns into something smoldering, desire simmering just under the surface. Yuuri feels the same. 

“Yuuri,” he breathes, stepping closer. Leaning close, he whispers, “You look amazing,” right before kissing Yuuri. Yuuri wraps his arms around Victor’s neck and kisses back just as eagerly. 

“Missed you,” Yuuri says when they pull away. 

“Me too,” Victor replies. He steps back and extends an arm, “Shall we?”

They drive downtown to Crave. After parking in a nearby ramp, they walk inside. They’re greeted and Victor gives them his name. Shortly, they’re guided to their seats on the patio upstairs. A cool breeze blows across Yuuri’s face as they sit down. 

“Can I interest you in some drinks this evening?” the waiter asks. 

Victor pursues the wine list and then says, “We’ll have a bottle of the Cuvaison chardonnay, thank you.”

The waiter nods and then walks away, leaving them with their menus. 

Yuuri scans the various foods listed, he considers the sushi and other Japanese briefly before moving on. He still hasn’t found a good place for Japanese and isn’t sure he wants to experiment tonight. He snorts when he sees chicken stir fry — definitely not getting that — and then he reads the other chicken dishes. He still wants to attempt at keeping his diet, but wants something slightly different. 

“What are you getting?” Yuuri asks. 

“The lemon garlic chicken looks good,” he replies. 

“Ah, sticking your diet too,” Yuuri says with a smile. 

“I should try,” Victor admits, a glint in his eyes. The sunset looks beautiful behind him. 

“Your wine,” the waiter says, approaching their table with a bottle of wine. 

The waiter presents the bottle, opens it, and pours some. Victor approves and then the waiter pours for both of them. He leaves after Victor asks for a few more minutes with the menu. 

“The chicken caprese rosa looks delicious,” Yuuri admits, eyeing the pasta served with it. 

“Would it be okay to order some flatbread too?” Victor asks. 

Yuuri flips back to the appetizers and scans the different flatbreads. “Margherita?” he suggests. 

“Sounds amazing,” Victor says. 

The waiter reappears and takes their orders, and then disappears again. 

“I almost didn’t want to come after seeing you,” Victor admits. “You look absolutely amazing.” 

Yuuri blushes. “Thank you. Your pants do wonders for your ass.”

It’s beautiful watching a faint pink appear on Victor’s nose and ears. 

“Thank you,” Victor replies. After a pause, he adds, “I found a new job. It’s at the Ordway.” 

Yuuri’s heart races. “Really? So, you’re definitely staying?” 

“Of course. I can’t leave. Not yet. I want to see us through,” he replies. 

“Oh,” Yuuri says. “Me too.”

Their food comes and they enjoy it while continuing conversation. After their meal, they decide to walk around downtown for awhile, holding hands, and laughing under the twinkling lights on Nicollet Mall. 

They make it back to the car long after the sun has set, and once they’ve begun growing tired of walking. The drive back to Victor’s apartment is quiet and Yuuri welcomes the comfortable silence. 

Makkachin greets them when they enter the apartment. Both of them take turns petting her and doting on her before they venture off to their bedroom. Yuuri’s began to think of it as theirs since he spends more time here than his own place anymore. 

After they’ve both washed up and changed they fall into bed, cuddling close. Yuuri leans close and slowly begins kissing Victor. They continue slowly, softly, for awhile before Yuuri finally rolls on top, and deepens the kiss. Victor’s hands roam over Yuuri’s back and down to his ass. Groaning, Yuuri grinds down. 

“Vitya,” he breathes. 

“Yuuri,” Victor replies, equally breathless. 

They continue making out a few more minutes, panting and occasionally grinding against each other. Eventually, they slow, still wrapped in each other’s arms, and fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know nothing about wine so i totally bullshitted that section pls don't judge what victor aka me chose
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


	10. Happy Birthday, Yuuri!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor plans the best day for Yuuri’s birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this is late, but at least it’s long!! 
> 
> spoiler, there’s some smut at the end. it’s not very explicit but starts at “ah, my pretty vitya” 
> 
> anyway, happy belated halloween, please enjoy!

Victor doesn’t know what to do. He heard Phichit asking Yuuri what he wanted for his birthday which made Victor realize  _ he doesn’t know when Yuuri’s birthday is _ . He’s the worst boyfriend ever. Yuuri should break up with him right now. How did this never come up? 

So now he’s walking around the Mall of America, completely confused and slightly intrigued. There’s  _ so many  _ people and  _ a whole amusement park _ . In a mall! Victor doesn’t know if it’s genius or absolutely ridiculous. He does know it’s very loud though. Any time he walks near the park all he can hear are children’s screams and the roar of rides running. On the perimeter where most of the stores are, people walk quickly and seemingly without regard to others. Some look like they’re aimlessly ambling down the bright white tiles while others are weaving between the crowds purposefully. 

He tries to use one of the interactive directories, but quickly realizes his English isn’t as good as he thought it was, so he’s decided to completely circle every level and go into any stores that interest him. He wanders into a few department stores, browses the men’s sections, but doesn’t feel particularly inspired by anything. He visits some of the jewelers, and again, nothing really catches his eye. He thinks it’s definitely too early for a proposal, but he hopes to one day. 

After circling all the levels twice, he decides enough is enough, and he finally exits the busy mall. While driving home, he notices a sign advertising the opening of an outdoor rink for the upcoming winter, and he feels a plan beginning to form. 

Once home, he searches online for free skate times at nearby rinks, and finds one that will be open on Yuuri’s birthday. The fees are fairly cheap and it’s the day after Thanksgiving, so he’s unsure if that means the rink will be insanely busy or insanely dead. Either way, he’s excited to bring Yuuri. Both of them have a past with skating, so Victor’s sure Yuuri will love it. 

***

The day before Yuuri’s birthday is Thanksgiving which Victor learns is a serious holiday in America, if the amount of businesses closed means anything. It gets a little muddled though with the intense onslaught of Black Friday ads promoting huge sales the day after Thanksgiving. The juxtaposition is almost too much. Nice, idyllic dinner and then aggressive shopping to follow. He doesn’t even want to think about the juxtaposition within the idyllic dinner itself. America is a strange place. 

Since most businesses are closed Thursday, Victor and Yuuri decide to buy all their groceries earlier that week so they can stay in for meals and spend the day together relaxing. During their walks with Makkachin, the air is frigid, and sometimes Victor can see his breath. It slightly reminds him of home. He was surprised that so far Minnesota weather hasn’t felt much different from St. Petersburg. It also makes him happy. He thinks he may have found a home away from home in both his location and also his company. He glances over at Yuuri who’s watching Makka sniff the same tree she smelled yesterday with a smile on his face. Yuuri’s cheeks are flushed from the cold, and he absently pulls his blue scarf tighter. His glasses fog and he huffs while cleaning them off again. Victor isn’t sure he ever wants to date anyone ever again. Yuuri is definitely it for him. 

For lunch, Victor makes borscht which Yuuri seems to love. After taking his first few sips, he blinks up at Victor, eyes wide, and then leans over to kiss his cheek. “It’s delicious,” he whispers, and Victor’s worried his heart might explode out of his chest. 

“Thank you,” Victor replies, his cheeks warming. 

It’s not until dinner when Victor brings up his plans for tomorrow. While they’re washing dishes, he casually brings up the topic. 

“Um, so I heard from Phichit that your birthday is tomorrow,” Victor says, handing another dish to Yuuri. 

Yuuri almost drops the dish while stuttering, “Um, y-yes. When did he tell you?”

Victor shrugs. “He didn’t really. I heard him talking to you about it, and I figured it out for myself. Regardless, I made plans for us. Is that okay?”

Yuuri slowly dries the plate while he considers Victor’s question. Victor continues holding the glass he picked up, but doesn’t scrub it. He’s too busy watching Yuuri. He hopes he didn’t cross a line. Maybe Yuuri doesn’t like celebrating his birthday? Or maybe there’s a Japanese custom he missed? 

“Yuuri?” he asks after he feels enough silence has passed. 

“Oh, um. Yeah, it’s okay. I just haven’t spent my birthday with a boyfriend before,” he admits, glancing sideways at Victor. 

“Oh! Oh, um, me neither,” Victor admits. 

“What! You? No way. I don’t believe it,” Yuuri says, surprise evident on his face. His eyes are wide, and he shakes his head. “Uh uh, you? The  _ Victor Nikiforov  _ has never spent a birthday with a partner?” 

Slowly, Victor shakes his head. “Yuuri, I didn’t stay with my past partners very long, and they often only worked out during the off-season. My birthday lands solidly in production season, so I was rarely dating for my birthday. For them…I guess, somehow I never dated someone when their birthday happened.” 

Yuuri’s mouth is open, shock still present on his face. Slowly, it closes, and he relaxes. “I...I guess that makes sense. I hadn’t thought of that. I’m sorry for overreacting.” 

“It’s okay. It’s not like I talk about it very much,” Victor replies with another shrug. He’s used to others being surprised when he talks about his not-so-successful love life. 

“I still shouldn’t have acted like that. You’re more than just a pretty face, and I shouldn’t make assumptions based on things I’ve heard from others. Vitya, I think you’re so wonderful. I don’t want to treat you how everyone else does. You’ve been so kind to trust me and show me parts of yourself you don’t show others. I want to respect that. How I reacted was wrong, and I’m very sorry.”

Victor takes a moment to let Yuuri’s words sink in, feeling how his heart races, and his hands shake. He didn’t know this was bothering him until Yuuri pointed out how it was wrong. How often has he let it go when someone is overly surprised that he’s not the player bachelor everyone envisions him as? 

“I -- um, you’re right. I shouldn’t be treated like that, but I know you weren’t trying to hurt me. I know you wouldn’t do that,” Victor finally replies. 

“Good. I’m glad we talked about this,” Yuuri replies, a smile growing across his face. 

Victor feels his own face morph into a grin. “Me too.” 

***

“Yuuri!” Victor singsongs as he carries in a breakfast tray. 

He hears some moaning from Yuuri’s sleeping form, watches as he stretches out and then opens his eyes, blinking a second later. 

“Vitya?” he says. 

“Mm, it’s me,” Victor replies, setting the tray down beside the bed. “I made you breakfast.” 

Victor leans over and kisses Yuuri on the cheek. “Happy birthday.” 

As he pulls away, Yuuri reaches over and pulls him back. He kisses him properly on the lips, refusing to let Victor go until he’s satisfied. When he finally loosens his grip, his smile is relaxed and Victor questions again how he got this lucky. 

“I love you,” Yuuri says, grin growing even wider. 

“I love you, too. Now eat up,” Victor says. He hands Yuuri the tray and then settles into the bed beside him. 

Yuuri eats the food slowly while sharing some with Victor. Sometimes he pauses to kiss Victor and by the time he finishes most of the food has gone cold. He doesn’t seem to mind though since his smile never leaves his face. 

They shower together, sharing more kisses, and some more intimate touches, before getting dressed for the day. Victor recommends that they dress warm, resulting in Yuuri wearing a soft blue turtleneck and his workout leggings. Victor doesn’t even want to go to the rink anymore. He’d rather ravish Yuuri in the privacy of their home (well, not yet, but Victor hopes it can be). 

Victor blindfolds Yuuri on the way to the rink. Yuuri doesn’t protest, and happily lets Victor tie a bandana around his eyes once they’re seated in the car. Victor has to file that tidbit away for later. 

At the rink, he carefully guides Yuuri inside who shivers a bit when they first enter. He can tell when the scent hits Yuuri and he recognizes his surroundings. 

“An ice rink, Vitya? I haven’t skated in so long,” he says, wistfully. 

“Mhm, I thought you’d like it,” Victor says while removing the blindfold. “Surprise!” he adds once Yuuri’s eyes blink open to meet his. 

“I love it! Thank you,” Yuuri says, giving Victor a quick kiss, and then sliding a hand into his. “Shall we?” 

They rent some skates and both struggle a little while lacing up. They end up having to tie each other’s skates, laughing the whole time. Finally, they make it onto the ice, both wobbling a bit at first, but their bodies remembering what to do after the first few laps. Once they feel stable, Yuuri laces their hands together again. 

“A few laps like this? Then I wanna show off,” Yuuri says, voice sweet with a hint of smugness. 

Victor raises their gloved hands and kisses Yuuri’s fingers. “Whatever you want, love.” 

They skate hand-in-hand for awhile before Yuuri breaks away and skates into the middle. He starts with some spins before he attempts a single salchow. It goes well so he goes for a double which he lands as well. 

Grinning, he looks to Victor. “Did you see it? I didn’t think I’d be able to do any jumps.” 

“You were amazing,” Victor replies, skating closer. He kisses Yuuri once, and then adds, “I honestly didn’t get much into jumps. I mostly skated for fun.” 

“I’d teach you, but I don’t want to risk an injury. Our showcase is pretty soon,” Yuuri replies, grabbing one of Victor’s hands to play with his fingers. 

Just then there’s an announcement that free skate will be ending shortly and skaters should begin exiting the ice. 

“Do you wanna go?” Victor asks, watching as Yuuri fiddles with his hand. 

“Mm, I’m ready,” Yuuri replies, glancing up at Victor with a soft smile. 

After returning their skates, they head back to the apartment. Once home, they take Makka for a quick walk so she can go potty, and then they go home to cook for dinner. 

Victor got a recipe for katsudon from Phichit which he’s been told is the same one Yuuri uses, and he spent a lot of time secretly perfecting it. He can’t wait to surprise Yuuri with his new skills. 

He insists that Yuuri relaxes on the couch or play with Makka while he prepares the meal. He knows he can’t hide what he’s cooking forever, but he wants to do all the work. 

Victor hums while he prepares their meal. At one point, Yuuri comes in and wraps his arms around Victor to watch. He kisses Victor’s shoulder and he can feel Yuuri’s smile against his clothed back. Yuuri does insist on helping set the table so Victor relents and allows him to do at least that much. 

Finally, they sit down together to eat, Makka laying on the floor not too faraway. Victor nervously watches as Yuuri takes his first bite. Will he like it? Victor hopes he didn’t mess it up. 

Yuuri swallows, looking contemplative, before he meets Victor’s gaze. “Vitya, this is delicious. It’s almost as good as my mom’s. Please don’t tell her I said that,” he says, grinning. 

Victor releases the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and grins as well. “I’m glad. I spent a lot of time practicing. I’m incredibly honored to be almost as good as your mother. Maybe I can bond over this with her,” he says. 

“Maybe,” Yuuri replies, still smiling. 

Once they’ve finished, the dishes washed and put away, they move to the couch. Victor pulls out a small box from a side table. “I wasn’t sure what to get you, so I hope you like this,” Victor says when he hands it to Yuuri. 

Yuuri opens the box and then gasps. “Vitya, is this…?” he asks, his voice slowly trailing off as he looks up at Victor. 

“You’re already practically moved in. I thought maybe…” Victor says. 

Yuuri picks the key up and smiles. “Oh my god, yes. My lease is almost up too. Of course, I wanna move in.” 

“Really?” Victor asks. He didn’t think Yuuri would say no, but he’s still so happy he said yes. 

“Really,” he answers, leaning over to kiss Victor deeply. 

Victor slowly reclines back until he hits the cushions behind him, Yuuri lying completely over him. Yuuri’s hands tangle in his hair, gently pulling, and he moans. 

“Yuuri,” he gasps when he breaks away. 

“Ah, my pretty Vitya,” he replies, sighing while moving to stroke Victor’s cheek. He leans into the touch, sighing as well. 

Yuuri grinds down then causing Victor to moan and then whine as Yuuri pulls away. He looks smug as he hovers above Victor. 

“Please,” Victor whimpers and Yuuri complies. He grinds down again, leaning forward to connect their lips. 

This time Yuuri doesn’t pull away, and eventually Victor begins matching his movements. Their cocks slide against each other beneath their clothes, both of them moving to get the best angle. Their mouths are hot against each other’s, their tongues occasionally tangling, and hands roaming freely. Victor moves to suck Yuuri’s next, pulling a high pitched moan from him. 

“Ah, ah, Vitya, please,” he pants near Victor’s ear. 

They begin moving faster, the tension from today finally finding a release. 

“Best birthday ever,” Yuuri laughs, collapsed against Victor’s chest. 


	11. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's time for Victor's birthday!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really debated if I was being too much putting two birthday dates right next to each other, but I couldn't resist myself, so please enjoy!!

These days Yuuri feels exhausted all the time. In the morning, his eyes feel heavy as if there’s a tiny person seated on each of his eyelids, and his feet drag, feeling like there’s weights attached to them. The weights always seem to loosen though when he sees Victor humming in the kitchen over a pan of fried eggs, or when Makkachin pads over to lick his hand. His favorite part of every day though is when he gets to collapse into bed next to Victor. He loves dancing, but he shares just as much love for Victor (and probably more). 

Today, the sun is out and the sky is clear blue. Sunlight reflects off freshly fallen snow, temporarily blinding Yuuri as he heads out for morning practice. He pulls his scarf tighter and shoves his hands in his pockets. Although the sun is out, it’s cold. Frigid wind blows against his face as he waits for the train, and he wills his eyes not to water. Quiet Christmas music plays over the loudspeakers, and Yuuri’s reminded that Victor’s birthday is soon. After his company’s Christmas showing of The Nutcracker on the 23rd, they have the next few days off, so Yuuri’s excited to spend Victor’s birthday with him. Yuuri didn’t audition for a lead role, but he’s still in rehearsals almost all day. He’s barely seen Victor outside of their morning and night routines. Loud dinging brings him out of his thoughts as the light rail pulls into the station, and then he’s off to another long day of rehearsals. 

The final show goes wonderfully, and the after party is just as fun. Yuuri invites Victor, of course, and they spend the night chatting with Yuuri’s cast mates and dancing together. They eventually stumble home, rosy-cheeked and tipsy, and wandering hands leisurely pull each other apart before sleep overcomes them. 

***

“Vitya,” Yuuri softly calls as he opens their bedroom door. Today, he woke up earlier than his boyfriend for once. He wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed as Victor so often does for him. 

Victor mumbles something, but doesn’t wake up. Smiling, Yuuri sets the tray down and sits beside Victor. He gently shakes him. “Vitya,” he calls again. 

“Yuuri?” Victor says, slowly opening his eyes. 

“Hi,” Yuuri says once Victor looks a little more awake. “I made you breakfast.”

His eyes light up at Yuuri’s words, and he sits up. “Really? Thank you.”

“Mhm, happy birthday,” Yuuri says, handing the tray over to Victor. 

Victor happily eats the food and shares some with Yuuri. 

While handing Yuuri another banana slice, he asks, “Do you have more surprises for me?”

Yuuri takes the fruit, and eats it. When he finishes chewing, he says, “You’ll have to see.”

Yuuri’s biggest surprise isn’t happening until later tonight, so he has many activities planned for throughout the day to keep them busy. He wants Victor’s birthday to be as special as Yuuri’s was so he tried to plan things he knows Victor would enjoy. 

They start with watching cheesy romance movies that Victor equally loves for their charm and loathes for their exaggerations. They cuddle together on the couch with hot cocoa and take turns teasing the cast members, or complimenting the elements they enjoy. Often they end up distracted, kissing each other instead of watching the movie. 

In the afternoon, they go for a walk around the park with Makkachin. It’s a little warmer today so they spend more time walking around the park, and letting Makkachin play to her heart’s content. Victor’s smiling the whole time, his hand warm in Yuuri’s, and he’s almost sure he planned this day right. 

At one point, Makkachin kicks snow up at them, inspiring Yuuri to bend down and scoop up some snow. He rounds it into a ball and then tosses it at Victor’s back. Gasping, Victor turns to look at Yuuri in shock. 

“Yuuri!” he exclaims. 

Pretending Yuuri doesn’t know what happened, he shrugs. “What?”

“I —” Victor starts, but then shakes his head and bends to scoop up snow. 

Immediately, Yuuri begins running away, swooping low to grab more snow. It’s not long before he feels cold hit his back and he laughs. He turns and tosses his new snowball at Victor, who’s already bending to collect more snow. Makkachin barks and circles them, trying to join in the fun. The snowball fight continues for what feels like forever, the sun slowly descending to the west. Finally, Yuuri collapses into the snow, and flaps his arms and legs. 

“I’m exhausted,” he sighs. 

With a huff, Victor joins him. “Me too.”

Yuuri turns to look at Victor who’s already gazing at him, cheeks rosy-red and eyes bright. 

“Are you having fun?” he asks. 

Victor nods. “Yes. Completely.” 

They lay together in the snow for a few minutes before finally getting up and going back home, Makkachin beside them. 

For dinner, Yuuri cooks Victor’s favorite pirozhki and a vegetable soup. Victor’s eyes light up when he bites into his pirozhki and tastes the meat and cheese inside. 

“I may have remembered you mentioning it one time in an interview,” Yuuri says when Victor doesn’t ask. 

“Amazing!” Victor replies, his smile brighter than the sun when it’s reflected off snow. 

Yuuri feels his heart warm and he nudges more food towards Victor. “Enjoy.”

After the dishes are washed and put away, Yuuri pulls Victor back towards the door. “I have one more surprise,” he says while handing Victor his coat. 

“Oh?” Victor says, putting the jacket on. 

Yuuri smiles, and grabs Victor’s car keys. “I’ll be borrowing these.”

Yuuri drives them to Nicollet Mall, parking on a street nearby. He leads Victor down the well-lit avenue, different colored lights lining the street. There’s some trees setup with ornaments and their own lights as well. It’s mostly empty except for a few other couples walking hand-in-hand down the street. 

Once they’re underneath a canopy of blue lights strung from one building to the next, Yuuri stops them. Smiling, he grabs a small box from his coat pocket. He raises Victor’s hand and slowly pulls one glove off. 

Looking up at Victor, he says, “I wanted today to be as special as my birthday. I couldn’t figure out what gift to give you until I saw these.” He opens the box to reveal matching silver bands. He hears Victor softly gasp as he pulls one out. “Vitya, I love you, and I don’t know if we’ll be together forever, but I want to celebrate what we have right now. No matter what happens at the showcase, I want us to remember this, so please accept this gift.” He slides the ring onto Victor’s finger. 

“Yuuri…” he breathes. 

Yuuri can feel his cheeks warming as he hands the box containing the remaining ring to Victor. “I want to promise myself too.” 

Nodding, Victor takes the box, and then Yuuri’s hand. He slides a glove off and adds the ring to his fourth finger. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Let’s do our best at the showcase, and make the most of our time together. I love you, Yuuri.”

When Victor begins pulling away, Yuuri reaches forward to intertwine their hands and admire the matching rings. They twinkle in the light and Yuuri smiles. This was the  _ perfect _ gift. 

“I’m going to kiss you now,” Yuuri says, and leans forward to connect their lips. The kiss is slow but warm and Yuuri’s glad to share this moment with Victor. 

After they pull away there’s clapping and Yuuri turns to see the other people have gathered around them. 

“Congrats on your engagement!” someone shouts. Yuuri feels his cheeks flame. Oh no… 

Panicked, he turns to Victor. “Vitya, I didn’t mean —”

“Thank you! They’re more like promise rings, but I think I can persuade him,” he says with a wink. 

The woman laughs and turns to her partner. “Why wasn’t our engagement this cute?” 

Feeling like things have gotten far enough out of control, Yuuri tugs Victor out of the crowd and back towards the car. 

“Vitya, I hope you didn’t misunderstand,” Yuuri says as they approach the car. 

Victor shakes his head. “I don’t think I did. These are like promise rings, no? And I will persuade you.” 

With that, Victor steps into the car, leaving Yuuri speechless on the sidewalk. Convince him? 

Later, once they’re home and in bed, Victor rolls over and pulls Yuuri close. 

“I won’t push anything you’re not ready for. We’ll go our own pace, okay? I hope I didn’t scare you earlier.”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t mind,” Yuuri answers. 

Victor kisses the top of Yuuri’s head. “Good. Thank you for the amazing birthday.”

“It was my pleasure,” Yuuri replies, and then they drift off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kind of going for an ep 10 proposal...did it work?? 
> 
> Next time, the show case and maybe the end??? amazing 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> *ABT = American Ballet Theatre
> 
> The first couple chapters are very short, but they get longer around chapter three or four 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/takeitoffhemmo) and [Tumblr](https://lukesgoggles.tumblr.com)!


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